MHRN Blog

Clever Hans, the Calculating Horse, was a sensation of the early 1900s. He appeared to be able to count, spell, and solve math problems – including fractions! Only after careful investigation did everyone learn that Hans was just responding to unconscious nonverbal cues from his trainer. Hans couldn’t actually calculate, but he could sense the answer his trainer was hoping for.

Most of our measures and measurement tools were created in conference rooms or conference calls dominated by older white men. Over time, those “expert opinion” measures acquire a patina of authority. As time passes, we can start to equate familiarity or habit with accuracy or validity. Our experiences with NCQA/HEDIS measures regarding antidepressant medication adherence illustrate the tendency to over-value the familiar.

My wife handed me a recent issue of The New Yorker and recommended the Shouts and Murmurs column. It parodied a whistle-blowing data scientist testifying before Parliament. At first read, I didn’t think it was very funny. Then I realized: If you don’t think Shouts and Murmurs is very funny, then it’s probably about you.

As our health systems prepare to implement statistical models predicting risk of suicidal behavior, we’ve certainly heard concerns about how that information could be misused. Well-intentioned outreach programs could stray into being intrusive or even coercive. It’s being observed or known that’s the problem, even if nothing is ever said or done about it.

When Nico Lodeiro falls down in the penalty area, I hold my breath waiting for the referee's call. Was it really a foul - or just Nico simulating a foul? I used to be surprised at how often the refs got it right, until a referee friend of mine explained what the refs are looking for.

NIH’s All of Us Research Program officially launched on Sunday, May 6th. It’s an ambitious national effort to bring together at least one million people from across the U.S. in a long-term study of health across the lifespan.

A recent news article about the European Union’s new privacy rules prompted me to think more about population-based suicide prevention programs. Caring outreach that respects privacy is a difficult balance.

The evolution of depression care management programs can be described in terms of task shifting. Initial Collaborative Care programs actually shifted some tasks up to specialty providers. Our MHRN Automated Outreach pilot project will take that task shifting one step further.